


even if it's just pretend

by shipstershipsters



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Slow Burn, Undercover AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26888875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipstershipsters/pseuds/shipstershipsters
Summary: D.E.O Agent Alex Danvers is being investigated by the upper levels of the FBI for possible ties to Project Cadmus. NCPD's finest undercover detective Maggie Sawyer is put on the case with one objective: gain Alex's trust, and find out whether or not she's working with Cadmus. Of course, to do that, she'll have to do what others have failed to do.She'll have to win over Alex Danvers.(Or, the Sanvers pretend-relationship AU, where only one of them knows the relationship is pretend. If you're here for an angsty slow burn, you're in the right area.)
Relationships: Alex Danvers & J'onn J'onzz | Hank Henshaw, Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Comments: 12
Kudos: 86





	even if it's just pretend

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first chapter of this multichap Sanvers slow burn! Buckle in and get ready for a whirlwind of fluff, angst, and drama. Slightly AU, only in the sense that Maggie works for the Undercover Unit instead of the Science Division, and that Jeremiah and the Cadmus storyline will be a little varied. Set in the beginning of Season 2. Please leave your feedback at the end- thanks for reading!

Detective Maggie Sawyer took a sip of the half-empty, sweltering beer in front of her. She let the familiar bitter taste swirl around her mouth, let it wash down her throat. Let herself take another drink in quick succession.

Usually, she wouldn't drink on the job- but that was when the job didn't _require_ drinking.

Now, her job- for the next six months, approximately- would require a lot of drinking, socially at least.

Because sitting across the bar from her, red hair gleaming under the dim bar light like a bulls-eye target, was the subject of her latest undercover investigation.

_Agent Alexandra Danvers, Alex for short. Born in Midvale to her parents Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers, older sister to Kara Danvers, adopted when Alex was fifteen._

Maggie's eyes flickered over the redhead from across the room. She'd done her research on this woman, extensive research. She'd gone through every file the NYPD and the FBI had on Alex Danvers, and after weeks of preparation, the only thing she wasn't prepared for was letting this mission fail.

From a distance- which was all Maggie had seen her from in person, at least- Danvers looked... intimidating. Her posture was straight even while sitting at the bar, and the leather jacket, resembling Maggie's own, added to the strong persona that she was already exuding. Her hair was chin-length and wavy, a practical length for her job, Maggie deduced. She always had to tuck her own hair up in a ponytail when she was in the field- Danvers must have gotten sick of that issue, because older photos of her showed waist-length hair which her current bob had replaced.

 _Cutting off a piece of herself, really,_ Maggie mused, watching how the redhead absentmindedly pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. Her face looked blank; unreadable as she took another drink of her own beer.

From a distance, Alex Danvers looked like a closed book.

Maggie's job for the next six months would be learning to read it.

She took a final drink of her beer before getting up from her seat at the bar and walking towards the other woman. Towards her, then past her, not saying a word.

She moved to the empty pool table a few feet from where Alex was sitting, right in her line of sight, and began racking the balls. Making sure Alex could see her every move.

Maggie wasn't amazing at pool, but she wasn't really _bad_ at anything _,_ either. Plus, the pool wasn't necessary. She didn't even know if Alex played, to be honest, but in her experience picking up women in bars, it helped to have something to spike the conversation. Something to _do._

It was a strange thought, that her job was to pick _this_ woman up in _this_ bar. But then again, everything about this operation was a little strange.

As Maggie lined up her first shot, biding her time, she let her thoughts wander. Wander back to the conversation she'd had with her Captain three weeks ago about the mission she was beginning today.

 _"Sawyer, you're the best we've got in the unit,"_ he'd told her, and she'd felt a swell of pride in her chest, at that. NCPD's undercover unit wasn't large, by any means, but knowing that she'd been handpicked for a mission because she would be the _best_ did boost Maggie's ego a little.

When she'd learned that this job required a woman, her heart had sunk, a little. Because now _the best we've got in the unit_ turned into _the only female undercover detective in the unit._ Because now this turned into another job where she was forced to cozy up to some rich man, investigate some white collar crime, and pretend to be something- _someone_ she wasn't.

However, when her Captain had told her the subject of the investigation was a 28-year-old woman, her spirits had lifted a bit.

It had only gone uphill from there.

Because this was a somewhat higher-class mission than the undercover ops she usually worked- this involved a federal agent.

Federal Agent Alex Danvers, who her superiors had recently decided they couldn't trust. In the files Maggie had read, they'd explained that ever since she'd rekindled her ties with her estranged father, even for only a week before he vanished again, she'd been... different.

They suspected that she'd gone after her father, that she was secretly working alongside another secret organization called Cadmus.

This was a classified operation- Danvers was one of the best, and they didn't want to risk losing her skill set if they were found to be wrong. Even her direct supervisor, Hank Henshaw, wasn't informed that there would be an investigation launched.

Apparently, if the investigation went well, if Maggie was able to get close to her and discover that she _wasn't_ working alongside Cadmus, Alex would be a shoe-in for Director at next year's appointment.

All in all, the future of the D.E.O- something Maggie was finally allowed to _officially_ know about- depended on if Maggie was able to pull off this operation. Depended on if Maggie was able to romance Alex Danvers into a serious, committed relationship, one where they grew close enough for Maggie to learn the intimate details of Alex's life, including her relationship with her father.

It depended on her. It depended on _them._

Maggie let her eyes flicker back to the bar where the object of her affections was still sitting. She'd gazed over at Maggie a few times, shyly- like she was afraid of getting caught. Strange. Maggie had been told she was out and proud to her family and coworkers- but also that she hadn't ever had a serious relationship. Whatever. Water under the bridge, Maggie decided, as she finally caught one of Alex's sneaky gazes, holding the stare this time and offering Alex a wry smile from across the pool table.

"You play?"

Alex adjusted her jacket nervously as she shifted in her seat, making the effort to face Maggie more fully. Maggie noted that even though she could see the trace signs of worry on Alex's face, her posture still stayed rigid.

"Well, uh, yeah. I normally do," Alex replied, her voice a little smoother than Maggie had expected it to be, a little higher. She sounded innocent, sad, almost. Maybe she'd come here to drink something away herself.

"Normally?" Maggie questioned, slowly moving around the side of the pool table, closing some of the unnecessary space between the pool table and the bar.

"Normally. When I'm not..." Alex trailed off, looking like she didn't quite know how to respond. She glanced down at the empty shot glasses next to the beer she was currently nursing, then back up at Maggie as a way of explanation.

Maggie nodded her head silently, slowly walking over to the empty seat next to Alex. She offered the redhead another half smile as she slipped into the bar stool, making sure to move slowly, making sure she didn't startle her.

"When you're not drinking to forget something?"

Alex's silence let her know she was probably onto something. Maggie continued, not wanting to put the redhead on the spot so early into their first conversation.

"Don't worry, I won't judge. I'm a cop." This was one nice thing about this particular assignment- she didn't have to lie about her name, job, or any aspect of who she was. It made it much easier to make small talk. "Detective, actually. I come here a lot to forget."

Alex's posture seemed to relax a little as soon as Maggie dropped the word 'cop'. _She must feel safe around law enforcement,_ Maggie mused. _Interesting, if she's being investigated for working against them._

"NCPD?" Was all Alex said, turning fully in her seat to look at Maggie.

"Yeah. Science Division," Maggie lied, pushing her jacket to the side and letting Alex see a glimpse of the badge on her belt. "We see a lot of stuff on the job. I'm guessing you might, too," she gestured, nodding at the empty glasses in front of the other girl.

"I do," Alex finally answered, after a long pause. She opened her mouth, like she was going to say something- then closed it and shook her head, blinking slightly. "Yeah, I do. I'm Alex."

"Maggie Sawyer," the detective replied, extending a hand with a grin on her face as she formally shook Alex's hand. The gesture made the redhead smile, something Maggie hadn't seen her do yet. She felt a little proud that she'd already brought a smile to her face. But what could she say- it was all part of the job now.

"So, Alex. Is that short for Alexa? Alexandra?"

"Alexandra. Alexandra Danvers, but only my mother calls me that," Alex muttered, taking another drink of her beer as she rolled her eyes. "And only when she's proud of me, so I haven't heard that name in _years_."

Maggie raised an eyebrow. This _Alexandra_ might have a few more in her than she previously thought.

"Well, _Alex_ Danvers," Maggie sighed, making sure to emphasize the nickname as she spun a little on the bar stool, facing the redhead now. "You sound like you could use another drink."

This earned Maggie another small smile, the surly look starting to finally vacate the taller girl's eyes. "I could, Sawyer."

"Then I'm buying. On one condition, though," Maggie insisted, leaning in a little bit closer to Alex and lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret.

"You play me for it," she whispered, nodding her head slightly over towards the pool table.

When Alex broke out into a full smile, nodding her head in agreement as she followed Maggie over to the pool table, Maggie couldn't help but feel like this was a mission she might actually _enjoy._

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing Alex Davers noticed when she awoke the following morning was _blinding_ rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains over her window.

She squinted as soon as she opened her eyes, flipping over in her bed and pulling the blanket up over her face. Her temples were already _pounding_ \- the last thing she needed was to make that headache worse. 

The second thing Alex noticed was how _dry_ her mouth was. Licking her chapped lips, she mustered up the energy to pull the blanket down from her face and reach over to her nightstand for the glass of water she always kept there. Fumbling blindly, Alex frowned when she didn’t feel her nightstand to the left of her bed. 

Finally opening her eyes fully, Alex froze when she was faced with an unfamiliar wall and closet door, with a mirror hanging on the front of it. 

The mirror reflected her disheveled appearance- clothes from last night still on, save for her leather jacket and boots- and the fact that she was laying along in a king-sized bed in a room she’d never seen in her life. 

This was enough to get Alex out of bed, the redhead groaning slightly as she felt her muscles stretch when she stood up. _How much did I have to drink last night?_ She thought to herself miserably as she gazed around the bedroom, trying to find her jacket and shoes. 

It had been years since she’d gotten wasted enough to wake up in a stranger’s bed- so long ago, in fact, that it was men’s beds she’d been waking up in. After Alex had joined the D.E.O and gotten on the straight and narrow, she’d discovered that maybe she wasn’t so _straight_ after all.

Since then, she’d had a couple one-night-stands, but it had never really been her thing. She didn’t like the feeling that came afterwards; the embarrassment, the awkwardness, the walk of shame she’d have to do the next day as she strutted back to her apartment in last night’s clothes- even if the sex was significantly better now that she was actually _attracted_ to the people she was sleeping with. 

Now, however, Alex was already starting to feel the tinge of embarrassment as she worked up the courage to exit the bedroom, hoping whoever had taken her home last night was already gone for the day.

Running a hand through her hair, trying to salvage a little bit of her pride, Alex opened the door slowly and was greeted with a short hallway that opened up into a wide, breezy living room. A cozy-looking sectional sat in front of a large TV, and the walls were adorned with shelves that each held up a variety of beautiful bonsai trees. Smiling to herself, Alex allowed herself to step closer to the plants, taking a closer look at them. She had a bit of a brown thumb herself, but it hadn’t stopped her from trying all through high school and college- she’d thought nature was beautiful and had always wanted to bring a little piece of it inside with her. 

Kara had always teased her relentlessly about it- _“You’re a scientist and you still can’t manage to keep a plant alive? Some degree,”_ she would say, always with a smile, never maliciously, and Alex would toss a pillow at her and roll her eyes affectionately. 

Whoever took care of these bonsai must know what they were doing, Alex mused, as she traced the side of one of the decorative pots. They were larger than the ones she’d bought as a kid, and Alex could tell it was because they’d been cared for well, and trimmed back if she had to take a guess. 

“I’m not a plant hoarder, if that’s what you’re thinking,” a smooth, sweet voice stated from behind Alex, making the redhead jump back slightly and turn around. 

_Well. Maybe not all one-night-stands are bad,_ Alex thought to herself as she blinked twice, taking in the figure of the small brunette in front of her, wearing a tanktop and joggers, her long hair cascading over those bare shoulders. As soon as she saw her, Alex was suddenly brought back to last night, in the bar, playing pool, drinking with- _Megan? Maggie? Maggie, her name was Maggie. Maggie Sawyer._

“I… they’re beautiful,” Alex managed to stutter out, glancing back at the bonsai trees before turning back to face the brunette. 

“They are. They’re resilient, too,” Maggie continued, stepping a little closer to Alex, reaching up to trace the roots of one of the bonsai trees on the shelf. “If you care for them right, they can outlive you.”

“How old is that one?” Alex asked softly, pointing to one on a higher shelf, one a little larger than the others of its kind. 

“9 years,” Maggie answered, a small smile on her face as she reached for the plant. All Alex was able to focus on was her dimples- _how had she not noticed those last night?_ She didn’t know if she’d _ever_ seen a smile that radiant before. 

“I got this for the very first apartment I bought myself,” Maggie explained as she handed Alex the pot, letting her see the chips on the sides, the signs of age, the signs of wear. “And I’ve kept it ever since. They’re supposed to bring peace and harmony. I wanted that, then. I still do, so I’ve gotten more,” she gestured with a laugh. 

“You’re very talented,” Alex commented, gently placing the pot back onto the shelf, wiping her hands awkwardly on the jeans she was wearing from last night. The feel of the material reminded her of why she was wearing them- why she was in this woman’s apartment. 

“So… Maggie,” she began, hating how her voice faltered. 

“Alex,” The brunette replied, nodding her head with a smile, and Alex fought back her own grin. The way the smaller girl said her name felt almost like a challenge, and it lit something inside her that she didn’t quite know how to explain. 

“We’re, uh, here. In your apartment?” Alex trailed off, finishing the sentence with a question. She didn’t know how to outright _ask_ \- _did we sleep together last night?_ She’d woken up with all her clothes on, alone in bed, and she didn’t know what to make of it. And she liked to think that if she’d slept with this woman, she’d _definitely_ remember it.

“We are,” Maggie nodded, with that same smirk that Alex just _couldn’t_ place. “Come on. I made breakfast.”

It hadn’t answered her question, Alex thought, but she followed the shorter girl just the same around the corner, leading into a cozy kitchen full of windows. The natural lighting made Maggie look like she was nearly _glowing_ as she stood up on her tiptoes to grab two plates from a cabinet near the window. 

“You made breakfast?” Alex questioned to break the silence, her eyes darting to the stove where she could see a few pots just barely sizzling. 

“I did,” Maggie replied again, her eyes flicking up to meet Alex’s. “Have you ever tried vegan bacon?”

Alex shook her head quickly. 

“It’s good. Try it.”

The brunette handed her a plate with a few strips of bacon on it, fruit, and toast on the side. Alex took it skeptically, gazing at the vegan bacon with suspicion as Maggie dished up her own plate. 

“Come on, sit down. You’ll like it,” Maggie insisted as she nodded over towards the couch, and Alex couldn’t help but follow. 

As Alex went to sit down next to Maggie on the sectional, she noticed the brunette clearing the couch of a few pillows and blankets, and her curiosity was piqued again. 

“Did you… did you sleep out here last night?”

Maggie nodded as she plopped down on the couch, eagerly digging into her own plate. 

“Why?”

“I wasn’t going to let you sleep on the couch,” Maggie replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You pretty much passed out on me at the bar last night. I couldn’t get into your phone to call anyone for you and you couldn’t tell me your address either, so I just brought you back here.”

“You just brought me back here? To sleep?” Alex clarified, feeling a little like an eighth grader again as she felt a blush begin to spread across her cheeks. 

Maggie nodded again with that trademark smirk, shooting Alex a look, her dimples shining again. “Yes, Danvers. Just to sleep. I told you, you were drunk.”

A wave of… _something_ washed over Alex at that affirmation, and while she knew it should be relief, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She nodded firmly, and took a bite of the vegan bacon on her plate just to give herself something to do, something to focus on. 

It _wasn’t_ good, and apparently Alex hadn’t done a good enough job masking her features pretending it was, because a chuckle came from the girl beside her and before she knew it, quick hands were snatching the remaining strips from Alex’s plate and pulling them onto her own. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex apologized immediately as she swallowed the small bite she’d taken. “You’ve been so nice, I mean you brought me back here, you made me breakfast, I just really _don’t_ like vegan food.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Maggie grinned as she swallowed her own bite. “Happy to. And for the record, it’s an acquired taste.”

“Oh, is it?” Alex teased, and was about to continue before her phone began buzzing from the back pocket of her jeans, pulling her out of her little daze with the other girl. One quick look at the caller ID- _Henshaw_ \- told her all she needed to know. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Alex apologized again, setting her plate on the coffee table as she jumped skittishly off the couch. “I- thank you, again. Just.. work.”

“Work?” Maggie questioned, quirking an eyebrow again as she watched Alex gather her boots, still scattered by the door. 

“Yeah,” Alex affirmed, hesitating slightly. Maggie had told her she was a detective, she could at least give her _some_ explanation. “I, uh, I’m an FBI Agent.”

“FBI?” Maggie raised her eyebrows fully this time, watching Alex with a grin as she stepped into her boots. “That’s pretty fancy. Didn’t know an FBI Agent would want to hang with a detective in a dive bar.”

“That’s not…” Alex struggled to say, feeling her cheeks flush again. _What was it about this woman?_ “No. It’s not like that. I just really have to go, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Maggie laughed, nodding her on towards the front door. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Danvers.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” Alex stuttered again, nearly tripping over her own shoe as she darted out the door in her hurry to get to the D.E.O. 

It was only halfway down the stairs that Alex realized she’d never gotten Maggie’s phone number. She shook her head and continued down the stairs, rushing out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk. No distractions. The last thing she needed was _another_ person to worry about. 

It was halfway to the D.E.O, after ten minutes of trying to convince herself otherwise, that Alex realized she _really, really wanted it._

__________________________________________________________________________

“Detective Sawyer.”

“Captain,” Maggie nodded curtly as she stepped into the dimly lit office, pulling the door shut behind her. Today marked her second day working this operation, and the first of her check-ups with her superiors.

“Were you able to make contact yesterday?” Captain Michaels asked bluntly as he leant back in his desk chair. He’d always been a straightforward man- never beating around the bush- and Maggie respected him for that. After all, she was the same way, and it was why he respected her, too.

“I did,” Maggie answered honestly, taking a seat in the stiff chair across from him. “Here’s my notes from yesterday and today.”

She handed the older man a thin file- one she was sure would expand in due time- and waited while he rifled through the few pages that were enclosed.

“You took her home?” He questioned, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he gave Maggie a curious look. 

“Extenuating circumstances, sir. She had too much to drink. Didn’t really have anyone else around.”

“There’s that rookie cop in you, popping out again,” Michaels muttered as he scanned the rest of the report. “Never knew when to call it for the day, always trying to save everyone.”

“Wasn’t really saving,” Maggie countered, squinting at him slightly. “She wasn’t a damsel in distress. I just know what can happen to blacked-out girls in bars.”

“She’s a federal agent, I’m sure she can handle herself,” Michaels cut in, handing the report back to her. “Although I have to say, I’m impressed. I thought it would take you a little longer to build a connection with her.”

“I’m still working on it, sir,” Maggie reminded him as she adjusted her dark blazer, rolling the sleeves up to her elbows. “Doesn’t happen overnight.”

“I didn’t think it would. I told you this could last anywhere from a few months to a year.”

“And I accepted either way."

Michaels remained silent after her response, tilting his head to the side before firmly nodding at her and standing up. “Good work so far, Sawyer. Be careful. If this goes wrong-”

“It won’t,” Maggie interrupted, reaching out and shaking the hand that was extended to her. She knew how much was riding on this- an official relationship with the D.E.O, the next director position of the D.E.O- her future at the NCPD. “I’m not taking it lightly.”

“Good. Then one more thing. Meet her sister today.”

“Kara Danvers?” Maggie wrinkled her nose. She’d read about the adopted younger sister in Alex’s file- apparently the two girls were inseparable. Alex had mentioned her a few times last night while they’d played pool, and Maggie could tell they were close. 

“Yes. I don’t care how, or where, just find her, and find a way to talk to her. Make casual conversation. If her sister likes you- Alex will be more open to trust you, too. Her superiors say Kara’s her weakness.”

“Copy that,” Maggie nodded, gathering her file in her arms and heading out the door back to her desk. It looked like she had some work to do today after all.

_________________________________________________________________________

“Alex, you _promised._ ”

Kara’s wide-eyed pout could have melted the coldest of hearts, and Alex’s own wasn’t spared. She already felt guilty enough for nearly passing out at the dive bar last night- she didn’t need her best friend reminding her that once again, she’d _screwed up_.

“I know. And I really didn’t mean to drink so much. I swear, I just lost track,” Alex lied, taking a bite of her bagel to try and get out of the interrogation she knew was coming. 

The middle of Noonan’s cafe & bakery wasn’t the _best_ spot to have an intervention, but it did nothing to prevent Kara from trying anyways. 

“Hey.” The blonde gently tugged Alex’s bagel away from her, setting it on her plate. “I’m worried about you. We have plans, last night, and you don’t show, and I listen for you and hear you in some stranger’s apartment? You’re lucky I didn’t want to look through the window and see what you were doing when you were blowing me off,” Kara said bitterly. 

“It wasn’t like that,” Alex muttered, briefly flashing back to the morning’s events- waking up in a strange bed, a strange apartment, with a woman who somehow didn’t _feel_ like a stranger. 

“You’ve been drinking way too much ever since…. Everything with Dad,” Kara said, a little softer this time, and Alex tensed at the mention. 

“Stop.”

“Alex, we have to talk about it sometime-”

“If you invited me to lunch to yell at me and argue, then thanks, Kara, but no thanks,” Alex snapped, pushing her plate away from her. “I am _not_ doing this with you, not here, not now.”

“Okay, okay.” Kara soothed her, reaching her hand out and placing it on Alex’s forearm. The conversation about Jeremiah’s recent disappearance was long overdue, but every time she tried to bring it up Alex completely shut down- and today was no different. Maybe she’d pushed too hard, Kara figured. 

“Why don’t you just, uh, tell me about your night,” Kara suggested, faking a smile as she wiggled her eyebrows at her sister. “I’m guessing you had fun.”

“I don’t really remember it,” Alex admitted, bracing herself for the backhanded comment about her excessive drinking that never came. “I, uh, met someone. At the bar.”

“I figured,” Kara chirped dryly. “That hasn’t happened in a long time. I didn’t know you were doing one-night-stands again.”

“No, that’s not… that isn’t what it was,” Alex stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush a little again. “We played pool. Me and Maggie.”

“Maggie?” Kara raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Uh, she’s a cop. Detective. She took me home when I was pretty much passed out,” Alex admitted. “Nothing happened. She slept on the couch. Made me breakfast.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, Kara leant back in her chair. “You met a stranger at the bar who didn’t turn out to be a creep just trying to get into your pants?”

“She’s a cop,” Alex shrugged. “She probably just likes helping people.”

“Or she wanted to help _you,_ ” Kara pointed out, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Either way, I’m glad she did. You need to be careful, Alex, I mean it. You don’t know what could happen to you when you let yourself get like that.”

“I know,” Alex snapped, feeling her temper rise again. “Thanks for the reminder, Kara. I’m _very_ aware of what could happen. In case you forget, in my line of work, I see things like that happening every day.”

“And I don’t?” Kara’s voice rose slightly. “I’m _Supergirl_ ,” she added in a hushed tone. “I save people from the _worst_ things. Tell me how I’m not supposed to worry every time you go off on a _bender_ -”

“I’m done,” Alex interrupted, pushing her chair back from the table and standing up. “Just stop. I have to go to work.”

“Then go to work,” Kara shot back, rolling her eyes at her sister. She didn’t even bother to try and stop Alex as she stormed off, angrily shoving her wallet into her pocket as she headed out the door of the cafe. 

The busy noise of the outside world began to fade into the background as Kara reached for the rest of Alex’s uneaten lunch, frowning as she looked at how much was left. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Alex eat a full meal. 

Kara finished her lunch quietly, scrolling through her phone, trying to push her sister and the worries that came with it to the back of her mind. It seemed like everything with Alex had been a fight lately- she’d been closing herself off more day by day and Kara was worried that soon they wouldn’t be able to talk about anything without derailing entirely. 

When Kara finished both hers and Alex’s plates, she tugged her purse over her shoulder, grabbed her to-go coffee and headed towards the door, preparing herself to shake off the earlier events and head to CatCo for another chaotic day.

She _wasn’t_ prepared to bump right into a small brunette woman who was entering at the same time she was exiting, causing her to drop the cup on the ground, spilling the remainder of its contents on the tiled floor. 

“Oh my God, I’m sorry,” the woman apologized, grabbing a napkin off a nearby table and bending down to try and wipe up the spilled coffee. 

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” Kara assured her, bending down to try and help clean it up as well. “I was almost finished, anyways.”

“I should've watched where I was going, it’s my fault,” the woman insisted, mopping up the rest of the liquid and standing up to toss it into the trash bin. “Let me get you another one.”

“Really, it’s fine,” Kara protested, but the shorter girl shook her head adamantly. 

“I feel awful. It’s the least I can do. Just let me buy you a coffee?”

Kara pursed her lips, squinting her eyes at the younger girl. She looked nice enough, confident, probably not a threat- maybe just a nice stranger who wanted to replace her drink. 

“You know, if you insist, why not?” Kara agreed, shrugging her shoulders and stepping back into line alongside the other girl. 

“What were you drinking?” The brunette asked quickly as she stepped up to the counter, looking back at Kara over her shoulder. 

“Oh, uh, iced latte, extra shot,” Kara replied, smiling gratefully at the other woman before looking down at her phone while she placed the order. 

“....and a large iced latte, extra shot. Yeah, thanks. Uh, for Maggie.”

The name caught Kara’s attention, and she perked up a little, tilting her head up. Alex had mentioned that she’d gone home with a woman named Maggie last night. But it was probably just a coincidence- there were hundreds of Maggies in National City.

“Sorry, again,” Maggie apologized as she stepped over to the pickup area, nodding for Kara to join her. As she reached to put her wallet away in her pocket, Kara caught a glimpse of a shiny badge clipped to the belt of her skinny jeans. A detective’s shield, Kara guessed, and her eyes narrowed. 

“Are you a police officer?” Kara blurted before she could stop herself, and she felt embarrassed when Maggie looked over at her strangely. 

“Uh, yeah. Detective, NCPD,” Maggie replied, shooting Kara a strange look. “Why? Know someone on the force?”

“No, actually,” Kara shook her head, sizing Maggie up as she pondered her next words. “Just thinking, my sister said she met a cop named Maggie at a bar last night.”

“Oh? Who’s your sister?” Maggie asked nonchalantly, playing it cool as she reached for the two drinks, handing one to Kara.

“Her name’s Alex.”

“Alex Danvers?”

“Yes! I mean, yeah. That’s my sister,” Kara rambled, taking another look at the shorter woman in front of her. She was attractive, sure, a little short but her smooth attitude seemed to make up for it. She had dimples- _noted_ -, she seemed sweet, and from what Kara had heard, she’d taken care of her sister last night, a complete stranger, for no reason. “Thank you. For taking care of her.”

“Uh, anytime?” Maggie offered, a cute grin playing across her dark features. “Danvers was pretty cool. So you’re the sister?”

“I am.”

“She talked a lot about you. You guys must be close.”

“We are.” Kara smiled wistfully. _Used to be closer._

Noticing the change in Kara’s demeanor, Maggie quickly changed the subject without missing a beat, not wanting to screw up the opportunity she’d managed to create for herself here. “Listen, I’m really glad I ran into you. Danvers left her jacket at my place. Didn’t know if I’d see her again to give it back, but since you’re her sister, wanna let her know she can stop by and pick it up?”

“Of course,” Kara answered a little too quickly, fumbling in her purse with her free hand for her phone. “I can, uh, text her your address?”

“That’s perfect,” Maggie replied, and as Kara Danvers took down her address, sending it off to her sister, she couldn’t help but feel like all the pieces of her plan were falling perfectly into place. 

_________________________________________________________________________

The knock on Maggie’s door came a few minutes after eight o’clock. 

Truth be told, she’d been starting to wonder if Alex was going to show at all. Maybe she’d moved too quickly- maybe she should have waited before bumping into Kara, maybe Alex just wanted to put the whole thing behind them. Maybe she needed to try a different angle. 

But the knock finally came, and Maggie jumped up from her spot on the couch, trying to act relaxed and like she hadn’t been waiting to see if Alex was going to show up at her door that night or not. 

“Danvers,” she greeted when she swung the door open, her eyes lingering on the redhead. “I hoped you’d gotten your sister’s message.”

“Yeah. I did.” Alex seemed a little awkward, definitely not as outgoing and bold as she had been last night in the bar- but if Maggie had to guess, it was because she was sober right now and she definitely hadn’t been before. 

“Come on in. I’ll grab the jacket,” Maggie gestured, stepping aside to let Alex enter the apartment. 

“Thanks. I really can’t stay, though,” Alex spoke up, taking a few small strides into Maggie’s apartment, lingering in the entry area. Maggie could see her eyes darting across the walls, focusing on the shelves, focusing on the bonsai trees she’d admired that morning. 

“You sure? You drove all the way over, I could grab you a beer,” Maggie offered as she headed towards the kitchen island, easily grabbing Alex’s leather jacket from the surface.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Alex said honestly, playing with her thumbs behind her back as she stood at attention in Maggie’s living room. 

“You’re not. I’m inviting you in,” Maggie told her casually, bending down and grabbing two beers out of the fridge. “Please, sit down.”

Something about the concise way Maggie always invited her to do things made Alex feel like she couldn’t say no. Maggie made it seem easy, made it seem like staying would be the obvious thing to do. The right choice. 

Alex’s eyes darted to the sweltering beer in Maggie’s hand, and she made up her mind.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Maggie replied, setting on the couch next to Alex, handing her one of the beers. She made sure to leave a respectable distance between them, made sure that Alex wouldn’t feel caged, or pressured. She had a feeling that she was already too skittish. 

“So you kind of ran out on me, this morning, after you told me you work for the FBI,” Maggie prompted casually, popping the top off her beer. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Alex began to apologize again, but Maggie shook her head, cutting her off. 

“No, I’m not upset you ran out, I just, uh… that was an invitation, Danvers, for you to tell me about your job,” Maggie explained with a grin, her dimples peeking out with her smile. Alex felt her own mood lighten, and she bit the corner of her mouth, wondering how much she could share without breaking any non-disclosure agreements. 

“Okay. Well, I’m an FBI Agent,” Alex started, taking a sip of the beer to soothe her dry mouth. “I’ve worked for the government for five years now.”

“And?”

“And… it’s pretty boring, lots of paperwork,” Alex lied, nodding her head as she finished the sentence to make it seem more believable. “Sometimes I get to go out in the field. Not often.”

“You’re an FBI Agent and you have a boring job?”

“Pretty boring. Yeah.”

Maggie stared at her for a few seconds before raising her eyebrows and taking a drink. 

Suddenly, Alex began to feel self-conscious- had that seemed lame to say? Should she have made something else up, something more intriguing? Why did she want to seem intriguing anyways? Why-

“Danvers?” Maggie was saying curiously now, tilting her head to look at Alex- _shit, she must be asking something_.

“I’m sorry-” Alex began again, and yet again, Maggie nipped her apology in the bud. 

“Don’t apologize. You know what? We don’t have to talk about work.”

“We don’t?” 

“No.” Maggie raised her beer, waiting for Alex to take the hint and clink their glasses together, smiling at the faint blush she saw rise to Alex’s cheeks. “We don’t.”

They didn’t talk about work that night. 

It was the first night Alex hadn’t thought about work in hours, while staying relatively sober. 

It was the second night she spent talking to Maggie Sawyer well past midnight.

And it was the first time, since her father’s disappearance, that she felt….well, _happy_. 


End file.
